This invention relates generally to a tool and method for using a router with a cutting blade for simultaneously cutting two or more laminate sheets so that the section cut from one sheet will precisely fit into the section cut-out of the other sheet. It is known that a router fitted with a cutting bit or blade can be used to cut hard materials, such as wood, composites, and sheets of laminate. It is also known that a router with a cutting blade can be mounted to precisely score laminate, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,369, and that such a router can be mounted on an adjustable mount to control the angle of the cutting plane, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,653.
None of the prior art discloses a portable tool to enable the use of a router with a cutting blade to simultaneously cut designs from laminate sections to be inlaid and the section of the laminate to receive the inlay, from sheets of laminate. Prior to this invention, in order to cut a design from a sheet of laminate for inlay into another sheet of laminate, such as for a counter top, it was necessary to cut the receiving sheet and then to hand fit the inlay design into the space in the receiving sheet. This is time consuming and labor intensive, requiring highly skilled craftsmen to even get the edges of the inlay close to the edges of the space in the receiving sheet. The most difficult part of the operation is mating the cut angle on the edge of the inlay to the cut angle of the edge of the sheet receiving the inlay.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a portable, hand held means to simultaneously cut laminate sections to be inlaid and the section of the laminate to be removed to provide space to receive the inlay, from sheets of laminate. A further object is to enable the shape of the inlay to be curved or straight, so that the operator can cut various designs for inlay purposes. Another object is to enable inlays to be cut and installed in sheets of laminate by relatively unskilled workmen and even hobbyists. Still another object is to be able to change the angle of the cut face of the inlay and the cut face of the receiving sheet of laminate and still have a precise match when they are joined.